The Villanova quartet of Brian Tetreault (4:08.8), Mathew Mildenhall (4:02.3), Carl Mackenzie (4:07.6) and Matthew Gibey (4:07.7) came home a respectable fourth, as Princeton won its first ever Penn Relays Championship of America wheel. Tetreault and Gibney were coming back the day after their particiaption in the winning DMR effort.

Albany’s Christopher Burke set the pace on the opening 1200 leg, then Indiana’s Chris Vaughn took control on the 400. IU’s Daniel Stockberger set the pace for 600 meters of the 800 leg, before being overtaken by Arkansas’ Duncan Phillips and Villanova’s Samuel Ellison. On the anchor leg, Virginia Tech’s Michael Hammond took the early lead with Villanova (Matthew Gibney), Arkansas (Dorian Ulrey), Indiana (Ben Hubers) and BYU (Miles Batty) trailing. Albany’s Paul Lagno joined the leaders with two laps to go and took the lead on the penultimate backstretch. Batty powered into the lead with 200 meter to go, but had no response for Gibney and Ulrey.

Gibney was able to kick past distance studs Dorian Ulrey of Arkansas and Miles Batty of BYU for the 9:37.93 win. Arkansas came in second at 9:38.40, while BYU was third at 9:38.60.

Nova continues a streak of upset victories in the Penn distance relays, as Georgetown and Boston College were underdog winners in the women's DMR and 4x1500 relays earlier in the meet.

The 2011 NCAA Indoor DMR champion BYU Cougars did not quite have enough this time, as Gibney and Ulrey were able to kick past Batty with 150 meters remaining (Batty did receive the baton just back, and still split the second fastest mile time in 4:01.34).

Indiana (2nd indoors) got out to an early lead thanks to a 2:56.5 opening 1200 leg, but could not hold on late (47.4 400 and 4:03 anchor). Surprisingly, the fastest anchor actually went to Providence's David McCarthy, in 4:01.25. That was good enough to propel Providence from 8th to 5th.

But the story was Villanova's unlikely victory. Gibney unleashed a perfectly timed kick to slingshot off the turn and blow past Batty. Batty, having run a 3:36 1500 at Mt. Sac weeks ago, had to have thought the race was in hand with 200 to go. He stormed to the lead with 300 left, looking untouchable. But it was Gibney and Ulrey who had a little left in the tank.

Just as Georgetown was the spoiler in Thursday’s college women’s distance medley relay championship, so Boston College dashed the Hoyas hopes of a distance double in Friday’s 4×1500. Thanks to a thrilling sprint from anchor Caroline King, the Eagles their first ever women’s Championship of America at the Penn Relays.

Richmond took the lead at the first exchange and held a wide margin halfway through the second leg. But BC’s Jillian King led a strong charge from the chase group to draw even at the exchange. Georgetown’s Renee Tomlin went to the front and slowly extended its lead. On the anchor leg BC’s King and Villanova’s Sheila Reid trailed the Hoyas’ Emily Infeld by as much as 30 meters with a lap to go. A big push from Reid brought the duo within striking distance, and King slingshot off the final curve to close quickly on Infeld.

Boston College hit the tape in 17:25.19, with Georgetown (17:25.65) and Nova (17:28.12) following.

PHILADELPHIA — Villanova women’s track coach Gina Procaccio had a sinking feeling that Thursday was not going to be a good day for the Wildcats.

“I could see it in the paddock,” Procaccio said. “She just didn’t look right.”

“She,” was freshman Emily Lipari, who was running in her first Penn Relays as a collegian. Procaccio noticed that Lipari was not her usual, jovial self.

“She looked tense,” Procaccio said.”

Not a good sign, especially at the Penn Relays.

Procaccio’s fears turned out to be justified as the favored Wildcats fell apart and finished a disappointing 13th in the college women’s distance medley relay Championship of America. Only a strong anchor leg prevented the Wildcats from finishing last in the 14-team field, 35 seconds behind winner and Big East rival Georgetown (10:51.49)

The Hoyas ran the fifth-fastest time in Relays history.

Villanova, well …

“It was just one of those days where everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong,” Procaccio said.

The Wildcats felt that if they could get the baton to Reid in good position, the junior from Canada would have a shot to bring Villanova its first title in the DMR since 2006. She never got the chance.

Lipari started slowly. The 1,200-meter leadoff split was seven seconds behind her best, Procaccio said. She was in 10th place when she handed the baton to Christie Verdier for the 400-meter leg. The race turned into a disaster when Verdier had the baton knocked out of her hands before she hit the first turn.

“It would have been really tough to win seven seconds down at the leadoff,” Procaccio said. “I knew Georgetown was pretty tough, so we kind of had to be with them leg for leg. So then the dropped baton added to it, (and) made it impossible then.”

As for Lipari, she’s not sure what went wrong.

“Things just didn’t fall into place for me,” Lipari said. “From the start I just felt really sluggish. There was nothing I could do about it. You have good days and you have bad days.”

There wasn’t anything Verdier could do, either.

“Before I got the baton one of the teams hit me in the face with the baton while she was passing it to her teammate,” Verdier said. “Then, as I got the baton (from Lipari) that same person kneed the baton out of my hand.”

By the time Verdier retrieved the stick, the Wildcats were 30-to-40 meters behind the rest of the field.

“When it’s that bad, you just laugh,” Procaccio said. “What are you going to do? It was tough at the start and then the baton was dropped. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“I feel for them. I really think over the last three or four years, we’ve gotten a lot better because Villanova made us better,” Georgetown coach Chris Miltenberg said. “And I’d like to think that we’re making them better, too. But I know for a fact that we’ve gotten to where we have been because they pushed us. I feel for them. Obviously, they’re phenomenal. Since I’ve been coaching at Georgetown, they’ve done nothing but beat us. I have the utmost respect for them and I know they’ll be back.”

Reid already has her sights set on this afternoon’s 4 x 1500-meter championship.

“We race tomorrow [Friday] and we’re racing to win,” Reid said. “We don’t take this to heart. We’re pretty resilient when it comes to recovering after bad races and we’re going to come back to the track tomorrow and hope to make some magic happen.”

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Villanova women were beaten thoroughly in today's Penn Relays DMR. Talk of breaking the DMR world record proved to be foolish, as the Villanova quartet of Emily Lipari, Christie Verdier, Ariann Neutts, and Sheila Reid were out of the race early and never threatened. Burdened with high expectations and running what was at bottom a home meet, Villanova was 8+ seconds back and in 11th place after the opening leg, and were dead last after the 400 meter second leg as Christie Verdier dropped the baton early in her leg. At that point the air was out of the balloon. Villanova ultimately finished 13th of 14 teams, a full 34 seconds slower than the 10:52.52 that won this year's NCAA indoor title. Georgetown ran a superlative race and won by almost 5 seconds over Tennessee.

According to Runner's World's racing news section (see below), Jen Rhines will give the marathon another try at the 2011 NYC marathon in early November. Jen let it be known recently that she'll be focusing on the 10,000 meters in her bid to make the 2012 Olympic team (which would be her fourth Olympic team -- she previously made the team at 5000 meters (2008), 10,000 meters (2000), and the marathon (2004)). Whether her commitment to run the NYC marathon reflects a change in plans remains to be seen. Jen has a marathon PR of 2:29:32 from Rome 2006.

Keflezighi, Gebremariam, Rhines, Edna Kiplagat Will Do 2011 New York City Marathon

Gebre Gebremariam and Edna Kiplagat will defend their titles at the 2011 ING New York City Marathon on November 6, while Meb Keflezighi will try and regain the laurels he won in 2009. Jen Rhines, a three-time Olympian, once in the marathon, will also be in the five-borough marathon. "Marathons are always challenging, but I’m challenging myself further with my goal to run both the ING New York City Marathon 2011 and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials," says Keflezighi, who has had second and third place finishes in New York City along with his '09 triumph. "This timing and challenge is very similar to 2004, when I won the silver medal at the Olympic Games and was the runner-up in the ING New York City Marathon 70 days later. This experience gives me, Coach Bob Larsen, and the rest of my team the confidence to pursue the goal of winning the ING New York City Marathon again, and making a third U.S. Olympic team." (See also our item about Keflezighi at Bay to Breakers below)

Gebremariam was third in the recent Boston Marathon in 2:04:53 after taking second in the NYC Half Marathon in March in 1:00:25. Kiplagat was also second in the NYC Half, being a 1:09:00, and she was third in the Virgin London Marathon on April 17 in 2:20:46. her time. Rhines, 36, will be doing her first marathon since a fourth place in Rome in 2006. A marathoner at the 2004 Olympics, she is the 2011 USA Half Marathon and USA 15K titleist. "It is with great excitement and anticipation that I return to the streets of New York this fall," says Rhines, who last ran New York in 2005. "My training this year shows me that I am stronger than ever, and I will be ready to reach a new personal best. I can’t wait to be fighting for a place on the podium this November!"

In 1988, Villanova women's track coach "Uncle" Marty Stern, as only he could, stood up at a pre-Penn Relays press conference and matter-of-factly proclaimed that his distance medley team was going to break the world record. The forks you could hear dropping on the floor were from his four runners, who all had that "Are you kidding us?" gaze in their eyes. But break the record they did. And 23 years later, it still stands.

At last month's NCAA indoor championships the Wildcats won the DMR with a time of 10 minutes, 52.52 seconds, which broke the program mark that also had been established in '88. So it appears the outdoor standard of 10:48.38 could be in jeopardy when Thursday afternoon's marquee event gets under way at Franklin Field at 5:20 p.m.

Even if that's not the stated objective.

"We're just focused on winning," coach Gina Procaccio stressed following yesterday's final workout in West Philly. "That's enough. I mean, Villanova already holds the record."

The Wildcats have won this race nine times, or four more than any other program. But they haven't won it since 2006. And that's the only time they've won it since 1997.

The last 2 years, Villanova has won the national cross-country title. Canada's Sheila Reid, who won the individual title last November, will run the 1,600-meter anchor leg, following Emily Lipari (800), Christie Verdier (400) and Ariann Neutts (1,200).

"I'm at the point where I think I know what it takes to win at Penn," said Reid, who received the Outstanding Amateur Athlete award at the Philadelphia Sports Writers Assocation dinner in January. "The last 2 years I thought we had great teams, with a lot of potential. And we couldn't get it done. But when this group comes together, good stuff happens. Hopefully, we can repeat some of the magic that happened at indoors."

All she wants is a victory lap. The record would be sheer icing.

"It takes something special to win at Penn," she said. "It would just be a vindication of all the hard work we've done, to put us in this position. But you just can't go in there with certain expectations, because anything can happen.

"It's a lot easier to be the underdog. But it doesn't matter. People don't remember who finishes second. It doesn't matter how much you win by. So [the record's] not something we're necessarily shooting for. But it is in the back of our heads, because we know it's possible. Still, you can't go out there after times. That'll drive you crazy. There's a lot of teams that are going to come after us . . .

"In my mind, the Penn Relays is the de facto national championship, since there's no DMR at outdoors. So this is the time to prove what we have. We see all the great names on the wall [at school], every day. They've got Penn Relay champions, and national champions. It's kind of funny to have one without the other. It's something that's very elusive. It would be great to put our names right up there in Villanova history, because it's very hard to do. Penn means the world to us."

The Wildcats will also line up in the 4 x 1,500, a race they haven't won since 2000. That was their eighth victory, or five more than anyone else. But the DMR has usually been the one that stands out from the rest.

Villanova's men have won it 23 times, most recently 2 years ago. Arkansas is next, with 15.

Procaccio duly noted that Georgetown, despite the fact that two of its better runners were redshirting during the indoor season, still managed to stay with her team for the first couple of legs. And the Hoyas hardly figure to be the only ones coming here looking to pull an upset.

"Because we won nationals, the expectations are even higher," Procaccio said. "But Penn is always big for us. I don't see it being any different.

"It's something we really want. But we want it every year. The next thing you know, 5 years have gone by [without a win]. I even started questioning whether I would rather win Penn Relays or a national championship. I'm sure for every other school it's the national championship. For me, I don't know. That's how important the Penn Relays are for Villanova . . .

"For the first time in a long time, we just have four really mentally tough competitors. They don't get rattled. None of them. They don't care who's out there [with them]. They don't care what they've done, or what anyone else has done recently. They just go out and do their jobs. But those days of being way out there by ourselves are over. It's just evolved. It used to be if one team broke 11 minutes, they were the greatest in the world. Now you might have four or five."

But will one go where no quartet has ventured before? Wonder what Uncle Marty would say.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

This list from the Villanova.com official website. Interestingly, running unattached in his first outdoor meet was Chris FitzSimons, who won the 800 meters in 1:53.37. He owns an open 800 PR of 1:48.83.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Here is the list of accepted entries for the 10,000 and 5000 meter races involving Villanova alumni at Stanford this upcoming weekend. Curtis (27:33.38 on May 1, 2010) and Jen Rhines (31:17.31 on April 29, 2007) are returning to the track where they set their 10,000 PRs. Koons owns a 15:43.78 PR (April 23, 2010) for 5000 meters.

O'Sullivan has seen the Relays from three perspectives - as a runner for Villanova, as an Olympic Development competitor and now as the Wildcats' director of track and field and men's head coach.

The four-time Irish Olympian won six watches competing for Villanova from 1981 through 1984 and three more for winning the Olympic Development 5,000 meters.O'Sullivan, 49, in his 13th year as head coach on the Main Line, likes to say he has a "love-hate" relationship with the carnival, the pressure of being a Villanovan contrasted with the immense feeling of satisfaction when his team does well there.

Question: What was your first memory of the Penn Relays?

O'Sullivan: I didn't know what the Penn Relays was until I got to the U.S. As a freshman, and with the dynasty we had then, I wouldn't have anticipated that I was going to run. But [Villanova head coach Jumbo Elliott] threw me on. All I had to do was put my head down and run hard and not worry about too much else because we had upperclassmen to carry the load. I ran two relays, and we won, and it was luxurious in the sense that I was part of something immediately and really didn't know what I was a part of.

Q: You accepted much of the blame for Villanova's shutout in 1983 [when he was a junior] but you came back strong the next year, anchoring two winning relay teams. What happened?

A: It was a part of my college career where I had lost commitment. I had lost what I was there for. It was one of those years where I was anchoring everything, and we lost everything. That's why Penn is love-hate for me. I will never say I love Penn [Relays]. I will never say I hate it because I know how important it is to one's life. But the reason why Penn is so significant to me is: That was my wake-up call that basically said, "Accept responsibility. You came here for a reason."

The next year, for the first time in my life, I found intense commitment in myself. I couldn't wait for Penn to come. I was dying for it to come back. I wanted to be ready. It's amazing that one year captured my whole maturing process. That's why I'm very fond of Penn - it's a love-hate relationship - because it forced me into seeing who I was and deciding who I wanted to be. It means a tremendous amount to me.

Q: Standing outside Franklin Field during the Penn Relays, you've compared the roars inside with those that might have been heard at the Colosseum in ancient Rome. Can you explain?

A: When I was a junior, I was stretching outside and noticed Franklin Field has this kind of Colosseum look about it. I called it the arena because the image I had was of the Christians and the lions. You hear this roar that something happened, and all I'm thinking about it some poor Christian in there getting eaten by a lion. Obviously it's somebody getting run down. I had this kind of image where you needed to be a gladiator to go in there to fight your way literally, not necessarily metaphorically.

Q: Did the Penn Relays change for you after you became Villanova's coach?

A: My biggest regret when I was an athlete for 15 years was that I didn't enjoy it. I didn't really savor it the way I should. So when I got done running, I said that the next job I have, I'm going to relax, try to enjoy it more. I think as you mature in coaching, it becomes clear why you're in the job and why you're doing it, and it becomes far more enjoyable. Penn is a report card. It's something you've got to get. It doesn't mean everything, but it means a lot.

Q: Villanova has won more men's Championship of America relays (89) than any other college. How much pressure is on Villanova at Penn?

A: You have this paranoia that everyone is expecting you to do something. Everyone knows who you are. Because of the Villanova shirt, it's pressure. I have tremendous admiration for teams that can get it done in their hometown. We're of the understanding that we have to be there and be ready every year as best we can.

Q: What do you do to prepare for a race at Penn?

A: We warm up on the lower fields on the grass and then we kind of pitch ourselves across [33d Street] from the pens. We can see the pens, and that helps a lot. But you're on the concrete outside so you don't want to put on your spikes too early. You're trying to time it as best as you possibly can to warm up and keep them warm so they can run as best they can. But everyone is in the same situation, and you understand that.

Q: How have you seen the evolution of the Penn Relays, from your time as a college athlete to now?

A: I think it's great. It's something that's Philadelphia always. It almost becomes a rite of passage on the track. It's all different levels of what it means to so many different people. Jim Tuppeny [former carnival director and 'Nova assistant coach] used to say, "It's good to be at the dance." Once you get into the dance, you don't know what's going to happen, but it's good to be there. You have to be proud of it because there's nothing like it. So therefore, for me [laughs], it's love-hate.

Friday, April 22, 2011

More hints that Bobby Curtis has plans to move up and give marathoning a try. He previously mentioned in interviews that he might make his marathon debut this fall. Next up for Curtis is the 10,000 at Stanford's Payton Jordan Invitational on May 1.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Villanova's Reid needs some help to get Penn Relays watchBy Joe JulianoPhiladelphia Inquirer, April 21,2011

Sheila Reid has won an NCAA cross-country championship as well as all-American awards in indoor and outdoor track during her stellar career at Villanova. What still eludes her is a Penn Relays watch.

That could change this year.

The junior distance runner from Canada has an excellent group of teammates with her in the distance medley relay. The quartet won the NCAA indoor DMR championship last month and is zeroed in on next Thursday's event at Franklin Field.

After a close call last year in the women's 4x1,500-meter relay, when the Wildcats lost to Tennessee by a half-second, Reid is ready to break through.

"She was really disappointed with that finish in the 4x15 last year," Villanova women's coach Gina Procaccio said Wednesday during a news conference about next week's 117th carnival.

"But it's the three girls in front of her that have to put her in the race. Indoors, I told them we put her in the race or we're not going to get it done. . . . I think they're excited this year because we know as a team we'll be able to put her in the race."

Reid outdueled Oregon's Jordan Hasay on the 1,600-meter anchor leg to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA title in 10 minutes, 52.52 seconds.

Reid made her outdoor debut last weekend in the Mount San Antonio College Relays in Walnut, Calif., and clocked a personal-best time of 4:11.85 in the 1,500. She finished second, less than two-tenths of a second behind 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Shalene Flanagan.

"She hung in the back the first two laps and I thought, 'What is she doing?' " Procaccio said. "But on the third lap she made her way up and went after Shalene. She came up a little short, but it was a [personal record] by five seconds, an outstanding start."

The remainder of 'Nova's DMR team - Emily Lipari (1,200 meters), Christie Verdier (400), and Ariann Neutts (800) - is intact, although Reid and Lipari had to deal with strep throat after the end of the indoor season.

Lipari, a freshman who won the Penn Relays high school girls' 3,000 last year, gave the Wildcats a gutty leadoff leg at the NCAAs in her first major collegiate competition, handing off in third place after getting pushed and tripped.

"Sometimes freshmen get into a situation like that and they panic," Procaccio said. "But she stayed calm."

Verdier, a junior, ran a personal-best time of 53.70 seconds for the 400 last week and "is really coming into her own," her coach said. Neutts had a personal record in the 1,500 earlier this season but has yet to run an 800.

Procaccio said the Wildcats women also plan to run in the 4x1,500 and the 4x400 relays.

As for the 'Nova men, coach Marcus O'Sullivan has entered teams in the DMR, 4-by-mile, 4x800 and 4x400, although he admitted "we're not quite sure where we are" on which races to run.

Villanova took seventh in the NCAA men's DMR with two first-time starters - 1,200-meter leadoff Brian Tetreault, a redshirt junior from Cinnaminson High, and 400 runner Carlton Bowers, a sophomore. O'Sullivan was impressed with Tetreault.

"He had never been at that level before," he said, "and he ran magnificently for a guy who's never been at that level. So I'm very comfortable with somebody like that."

The coach added, however, that he won't pick the runners for any of his relay teams until next week.

PHILADELPHIA - The first of two Penn Relays press conferences featured Penn women's head coach Gwen Harris, and coaches from national track and field powerhouses including Villanova, BYU and Tennessee on Wednesday. The second press conference is scheduled for Monday featuring Penn men's head coach Charlie Powell, and coaches from LSU, Virginia, Texas, BYU and Texas A&M.

Florida Head Coach Mike Holloway

Opening Statement:

"The only relay I've never won at Penn Relays is the 4x100. Obviously, we'd love to put our best foot forward and win that. But there are some great schools there with (Texas) A&M and LSU and FSU and TCU and Baylor and the list goes on and on. We're going to run that. We're going to run the 4x200, the sprint medley, the shuttle relay, and high jump."

On not running in the 4x400 this year:

"We've been running the 4x400 at Penn forever, and due to logistical things such as travel this year, and also Tony McQuegg is a little dinged up. We'd love to run that relay. I think honestly that's almost like you come to Penn to be a part of the 4x400. We're just not ready and healthy to do that this year. And I have to be smart. We're in the title hunt for the NCAA title here in about eight weeks and I have to think about that also."

Villanova Men's Head Coach Marcus O'Sullivan

Opening Statement:

"Just a few comments in terms of the relays we're going to run. The 4xMile, the distance medley and 4x800. Traditionally we enter those every year, but more often than not we run two of them. Obviously, you have to enter them early enough and we're not quite sure where we are a lot of times because for many of us, it's the first competitive part of the whole season. We're just coming in under the wire."

On some of his top local athletes running at the meet:

"A lot of kids, haven't raced yet. But we've had some good showings earlier for some of the athletes that we've had on the team. Primarily I'm dwelling on these for the local aspect of things. Sam Ellison from Upper Dublin (Pa.), is a great kid that just joined us this year and ran 46.0 in the 4x400 last week in Miami. Carlton Bowers a little farther away but from the Pingry School, in the mid-Jersey area. He should be running this particular weekend at Penn. Obviously Matt Gibney, who will open up on Friday, and Brian Tetreault, another relatively local young man, but a senior, from Cinnaminson in South Jersey."

Villanova Women's Head Coach Gina Procaccio

Opening Statement:

"Here we are again, five years since we've won. So it's always an anxious week for us, but this year I think we've had the best team we've had since we won five years ago. Definitely for the DMR. That's kind of the big relay that we're focusing on. We are also entering the 4x1500 and have a really good 4x400-they just ran a 3:41. The sprint group is really coming along, and we have a short hurdler, and a couple kids that can do some of the distance events. Our big focus, we won the indoor NCAAs in the DMR, so we think that's our best shot at winning next Thursday."

On Freshman Emily Lipari

"She's pretty seasoned but I thought she did a tremendous job at (indoor) NCAA's because there's nothing like the NCAA meet, and somebody as good as her is used to being in control and kind of out in front and knowing she's that much better, and all of a sudden she's thrown into a situation where she really got knocked around. She got pushed, she got tripped on the rail, and I thought she did a tremendous job. In high school, she ran a 28.9 in the last 200 to win the 3,000. She ran down the girl in front. So I'm just going to tell her to have that 200 in her mind this year. She's at a new level, so the pace is probably going to be tougher where she can't pull out a 28."

Tennessee Head Coach J.J. Clark

Where Tennessee lines up strongest:

"I know the competition is very strong in the DMR but we have a good DMR and some good runners who are able to run around 2:07 or better indoors."

How soon do you set lineups:

"It depends on what I see in practice. Sometimes people can say the wrong thing at the wrong time to get them on the relay or off the relay."

On how he will select the lineups:

"I don't know what other coaches do, but I don't necessarily go on merit. Just because you ran well indoors doesn't mean you'll get the spot, I want the person who is hot like right now."

On Chanelle Price:

"Last year she came into Penn Relays a little banged up and this year she is not. She ran last week and considering the weather I thought she did well."

BYU Women's Head Coach Patrick Shane

His thoughts on BYU's team one week out from the Relays:

"I think we're going to be competitive in the 4x800 and the DMR. We're kind of day-by-day in the 4x1600 right now with health issues. I think we're probably one person short on the 4x1600 and we thought we'd be a little better in the 4x800. We're redshirting a 2:04 girl, [Natalie] Stewart, from last year, that would really make me excited in that event."

How do you line up that 4x800

"Obviously, we have Katie Palmer and Lacey Cramer-Bleazard. They are two of the top four in the country right now on paper. Bleazard was a two-time national indoor champion and was second to Phoebe Wright from Tennessee last year, sandwiched between her two national championships. She's a tremendous athlete and then we have a couple other young ladies that have run 2:07; a couple of them last year, one's repeated it this year. They are both ready to run 2:06 this year and I think both of them are ready to run PR's at this point. I think we'll be competitive, but boy is it a tough field."

On BYU Coming to the Penn Relays

"The Penn Relays experience is like nothing else and my girls never leave me alone. Every year I receive an amazing amount of pressure from them, 'Are we going to Penn this year,' and my response is, 'If I think we can be completive,' and this year we can and next year we can. I just feel like if we have a chance to represent our school well and a chance to maybe win an event. So we should be there."

What BYU's Local Runner, Porshe Giddings Brings to the Team

"Porshe [Giddings] is overjoyed to be going to Penn. Of course her whole family is going to be there and it is a big, big deal. Of all the girls on the team she been there and no one here has been there before and she knows what it is like and has created a lot of enthusiasm amongst the other girls."

Accomplishments: Holds five school running records in outdoor track; first girl to win 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash in same NCISAA state meet in more than 30 years.

Varonica Johnson wants to be faster every time she steps on the track.

The Providence Day senior sprinter has been the fastest during most of her final season as a Charger, breaking a personal or school record nearly every time she races.

Johnson, 18, who has been running since she was 5 years old, is ultra-competitive whether she is running against the nation's best or against herself in practice.

"I do make it a competition with myself every time I run, whether it is in practice or in a meet," Johnson said. "Even if I win and don't run my best, I am disappointed. I have high standards for what I think I should do."

Vanessa Johnson, Varonica's mother, agrees with her daughter after watching her compete on a daily basis for more than 13 years.

"Varonica wants to be faster every time she runs," Vanessa said. "She doesn't just say or think that, she has worked and trained harder than ever this past year. As a result, her times have been dropping almost every meet."

Johnson has lived up to her own standards most of the year, setting personal bests in the 100-meter dash (11.9 seconds), 200-meter dash (24.7 seconds) and the 400-meter run (58.5 seconds) last week in a CISAA meet at Charlotte Christian. Johnson also recently was named MVP of the Blue Devil Invitational at Mooresville High School in a field that included many of best runners from 3A and 4A public schools.

Johnson hopes to be even faster still, as the CISAA conference meet, the NCISAA 3A state meet and Nike Nationals in Greensboro all occur in the next few months.

"I do want to make my final mark at Providence Day," said Johnson, who is also an A and B student in the classroom. "But I am always aiming higher. I am always thinking of the next thing, the next race, the next accomplishment."

At states last year, Johnson became the first girl to win the 100, 200 and 400-meter state titles in the same year in more than 30 years.

This year, Johnson is looking to repeat her feat, but by the end of the race she already will be thinking about her training for the Nike Outdoor Nationals at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro on June 16-18.

"I definitely want to be at my best at Nationals," said Johnson. "When you get an opportunity to run against the best (sprinters) in the country, you want to show that you belong."

Johnson recently committed to Villanova University, where she will go to school and run track the next four years.

Johnson picked the Wildcats over Harvard, Iowa, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, to name a few. In the end, Johnson felt Villanova gave her the best chance to succeed as a student-athlete and sprinter.

"I think I have a great chance to improve myself as a student and as a sprinter at Villanova," Johnson said. "When I visited there earlier this month, I just felt like I fit in, and it felt like the right place for me."

Johnson, who holds at least five Providence Day School records on the track, usually fits in wherever she goes because of her hard work, talent and desire to get better.

"Varonica always thinks she can do something bigger and better," Vanessa Johnson said. "In her mind, she hasn't gotten to her full potential. There is more to come, more that we haven't seen.

"She always wants to get to that next level. I think that is what makes her so good all of the time."

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Down the Backstretch: It’s nice to see somebody actually using their college degree. Seriously, what gave you the incentive to do the website and the various media projects you are doing?

Carrie Tollefson: Thanks. I value my education from Villanova so much, and I have always tried to keep my passions on and off the track alive. I realized early on in my life that being well rounded is crucial for everyone.

I have learned so much from experimenting with different avenues, and I am so thankful my parents encouraged us to try everything. That is how I have lived my life. I love to run, but things happen and really, an injury can end a career fast, so I always wanted to stay in tune with the "real world" as well.

Running will always be a part of my life, and I hope it will stay a part of my career, but there comes a time when a professional runner can't run professionally anymore. Life after athletics can be tough so I am trying to keep both my athletic career and my other passions in check.

I have a lot on my plate these days. First and foremost, I am a Mom!!! I love it so much. Ruby is the best thing Charlie and I have ever done in our lives, and being home with her is the best job in the world. She comes with me to Lifetime Fitness for two hours a day and plays in their day care while I work out; and then another day or two a week I will have her go to a family friend's home so I can work on my camps, CTolleRun, my speaking gigs, my Minnesota Grown commitments, and when I travel for NYRR and the Daily Cool Down.

So to answer your question, I have always worked outside of running. I started doing a little radio during college, and then right after I graduated from Villanova, I started doing TV commentary for Elite Racing. They had me doing color commentary for various marathons and for the NCAA cross country championships.

This has led to many things and CTolleRun just really came about last year. John Magnuson, with Mtec results formally known as ChampionChip Minnesota, approached me about the show and asked if I would be interested. We thought it would be a fun thing, and we are just really learning what people like to see and are really open to anything.

We love endurance sports and what they do for athletes on all levels and think it is neat to just bring out the fun in being physically fit. My director and producer, Julie Magnuson, and my cameraman, Tim Bornholdt, have been great to work with and it has been a joy taking this new journey.

DtB: How did the Daily Cool Down(DCD) program for the NY Road Runners happen? Did they ask you? Did you approach them?

CT: The New York Road Runners approached me to do the Daily Cool Down. Mary Wittenberg has always been such a huge supporter of American Athletes and she always tells me that she thinks I should move to New York so I can be on air there. She wants us all to reach for the stars and her support and encouragement means so much to all of us athletes.

The Daily Cool Down is the "behind the scenes" of our sport, kind of like Entertainment Tonight. Not only do we like to hear about the elite athletes but we want to find out more about everyone else that is running the race or helping our sport. It has been really fun and I hope it continues to grow.

DtB: Is the DCD a collaborative thing where you are part of a team generating the ideas and working out the format and content of the programs?

CT: I have a team that helps me with this. We work together but they build the show before I get there, and then, once I arrive, we talk and let it come together. Zach Starr is the producer and my cameraman, for the DCD and he is so much fun to work with.

He and NYRR work together before to find who and what we are going to cover and then once he and I start working we just go for it. He helps me with my lines but we really just live in the moment and let things happen.

Nothing is memorized and if you have seen any of the shows, you can see I sort of fly by the seat of my pants. We have a lot of fun and they really like me to just be me. A bit crazy, but still a down to earth Minnesota girl, I guess. Sort of like my CTolleRun episodes.

DtB: There seems to be a mix of the serious with the “lighter” stuff on the DCD, such as the interview with the World Trade Center bombing and 9/11’s family and then doing a diaper changing challenge with Adam Goucher. Is there a set mix you’re trying to have for the program or is it more “organic” in picking up things as you go along and pulling them all together for a program?

CT: Exactly, we have a few people that we interview and we know the content and how we are going to build the show but then, with things like the diaper changing challenge, that was an idea I had randomly.

We wanted to show the public that elite athletes are normal runners and people just like everyone else, and we like having fun as well. Sometimes I think people have no idea who we are except when we are running really fast and then they recognize the name.

Adam Goucher is a great athlete, one of the gutsiest runners I have ever met, but he is also a really good guy. Really fun, happy, and is obviously really excited about being a father, so I thought this would be a fun way to remind the world that he does more than just run.

DtB: What was the reason for CTolleRun.com? What are you attempting to do with the site?

CT: Well, with CTolleRun.com, we are trying to create a show that would appeal to runners of all abilities. With my crazy and upbeat personality, we are stepping outside the box by trying to educate, inspire, entertain, and really just have some fun with the running world and those that are interested in living a healthy life.

We have been doing episodes around the country and even internationally featuring different races and events. It has been a great adventure and we hope it continues, so check us out and send your episode ideas to www.CTolleRun.com.

DtB: Watching the programs, one would think that you’ve changed your first name to Olympian, as in Olympian Carrie Tollefson. How are things going in terms of that becoming two-time Olympian…?

CT: Well, as far as saying Olympian Carrie Tollefson, I sometimes wonder the same thing. Not so sure about changing my name but it is one of the titles in my professional career that I am honored to be able to call myself. I think for the rest of my life that will be one of my biggest accomplishments, so I will most likely, always say it. Plus, both producers asked me to say it so I follow what they say. They crack a hard whip!

In terms of trying to make my second Olympic team, I would love to. I have had a little challenge with my plantar ever since January but I am back training again and hope to be racing on the roads in five to six weeks, and maybe even the track later this spring, early summer. There is still a fire in my belly when it comes to running, and until that goes out, I will be trying as hard as I can to get to the finish line first!!!!

DtB: What sort of perspective does being a parent give you in regards to your various endeavors? How has it impacted your life?

CT: I love every minute of it. We can't wait to have more children, but it is hard trying to juggle everything. I would be lying if I said that I am having an easy time figuring it all out. Ideally I would be home full time with Ruby, able to take her on every run, and to every workout, bring her with me to every gig I have, let her be with me at my youth camp or my adult camps, and travel all over the world with her and Charlie, but that doesn't seem to work.

I am very blessed to have my husband, Charlie’s, help. He is a great dad and gets to have Ruby to himself quite a bit. Charlie is an Architect and he loves what he does as well, but I could not do what I do without such a supportive husband. We are celebrating her one year birthday on April first and really, this has been the best year of our lives. She has brought so much joy and love to us.

Running is important, and my career is important, but being a loving mom and wife is by far, the most important and best job I have ever had.

To visit Carrie's "C Tolle Run" webpage and watch her running videos, click the title of this post.

Here's a teaser on the Penn Relays from Frank Bertucci in today's Philadelphia Daily News

Record in Sight for Sheila Reid and Villanova?Frank BertucciDaily News, Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The record has been on the Penn Relays and world books for 23 years, Villanova's distance medley relay time of 10:48.38 run by Kathy Franey, Kameisha Bennett, Celeste Halliday and Vickie Huber.

And maybe this is the year that it comes off the books.

Villanova's women (Emily Lipari, Christie Verdier, Ariann Neutts, Sheila Reid) won the DMR (10:52.52) at the indoor NCAA championship meet in March, and broke the school indoor record for the event set by the 1988 team. Four seconds...

"There's room for each girl to improve (their indoor times) by a second or two," said Reid, the anchor who won the NCAA cross country championship in the fall, leading the Wildcats to the team title. "It depends on the nature of the race. Everybody's there to run fast.

"If we need to go faster we could, but 10:48 is no joke. But the Penn Relays is all about the win. We want to take a victory lap around the track with those big wheels."

Reid's referring to the Championship of America plaques, which she's familiar with seeing at Villanova. But she's never been on a relay team to add to the track teams' collection. In fact, the last Villanova Championship of America winner at Franklin Field was the men's DMR team in 2009; the last women's winner was the 2006 distance medley relay.

But with Reid on the anchor of both relays, Villanova's women are among the favorites in both the distance medley and 4x1500-meter relays. They'll be pushed by Virginia, Michigan, Georgetown and Tennessee, but unfortunately not by Oregon.

Villanova and the Ducks, with Jordan Hasay on the anchor, ran the spectacular indoor DMR race. Oregon finished .38-second behind Villanova, but won't be running at Penn.

"That's definitely disappointing," Reid said. "That was a great battle indoors. Me and Jordan pushed each other. I wanted an opportunity to race her on the anchor again.'

Reid is off to a good start to the outdoor season, running a personal-best time of 4:11.85 for 1500 meters last weekend at the Mt. Sac meet in California. It was an NCAA-best time for this outdoor season, and was her first competitive race of the season.

And Verdier, a junior who'll run the 400-meter leg on the DMR, ran a personal-best time of 53.70 for the 400 in a meet at Miami last week, so maybe those four seconds from the DMR world record can be cut down.

Reid will graduate with a degree in English in May, but she'll still be running for Villanova as a grad student. She has no indoor eligibility remaining, but will compete once more in cross country and outdoors, and at Penn.

"This is the national championship of all relays," Reid said of Penn.

And what the Penn Relays could use this year is a new meet record - and world record - in the women's distance medley relay.

Monday, April 18, 2011

At the Mt Sac Relays this past weekend, BYU's Miles Betty ran 3:36.25 for the 1500 meters, a 6.17 second PR (see results of the race below). That time placed Batty at #5 all-time for collegiate runners. This latter list is still headed -- almost 30 years later -- by Villanova's Sydney Maree, who ran 3:35.30 in June 1981. Also on the top 10 collegiate list is Villanova's Eamonn Coghlan, who went 3:37.01 in June 1976 (at the time, it too was the collegiate record).

Sunday, April 17, 2011

The BAA women's elite mile was just as close as the men's race, with Anna Pierce, Marina Muncan, and Treniere Moser all battling for the win in the final straight.

After Charlotte Browning led the first two laps, the field began to pick it up, tired of the extremely slow pace. With the finish in sight, Muncan took the outside, Moser the middle, and Pierce the inside. The three would stay three-wide until after the tape. Similar to the men's race before, fans, athletes, and reporters had to wait to hear who was the victor.

Eventually it was announced Muncan had won in 4:58.7, with Pierce and Moser a tenth of a second behind. The 28-year-old Muncan's win marks her third of this year in Boston -- indoors she won the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, as well as the 800m in a national record at the Boston University Valentine Invitational.

In very windy conditions, Ben True outsprinted Bobby Curtis to the finish at today's Boston Athletic Association 5K road race. Given the windy conditions, no one had a vested interest to lead the race. As a result, it came down to the final sprint among four runners.

The 5k was up first at 8am and was won by Dartmouth grad Ben True in 14:07. The men’s race went out fairly slow through the first two miles (4:41 and 9:20) but the top runners finished strong, with Ben True crossing the line first in 14:07 and Bobby Curtis(14:07) and Ben St Lawrence (14:09) finishing second and third respectively. “I have been sick all week so my coach (Tim Broe, the top American 5000m runner from 2003-2005) told me don’t do anything and just kick. So at the start I was leading, I was like ‘oh no.’ I was jogging, so I knew it would be a cat and mouse game, and sure enough it turned out to be. “I think it was the wind and nobody wanted to take the lead.” True said of the race. But it was True who showed that he had the strongest kick of the day as he battled it out with Curtis at the end. “I have to admit I was a little nervous. He [Curtis] went at the three mile mark, and I was a little nervous because he got a quick jump on me, but I was able to reel him back in. So it’s nice to know that the fitness is there.”

True attributed the wind and nobody wanting to take the pacing duties to the slow opening miles, “I think they were looking at me to take the lead, but I wasn’t going to take the lead. Nobody wanted to do anything and that was a problem,” said True. “We were just crawling around the course and we just started jockeying for position the last 400.” True is using the BAA 5k as a tune-up for his 10,000m debut at Payton Jordan in two weeks. Former NCAA 5000m Champion Bobby Curtis and Ben St Lawrence, the Aussie who recently ran 13:10.08 for 5000m beating Chris Solinsky, have been training at altitude together and also used this race as a tune-up for the Payton Jordan 10,000m. They are currently training at an altitude of 6,000 feet in the mountains of Southern California. Curtis was pleased with his race performance, “It was good until the last 50 meters for me,” said Curtis. “It was fine, it was a windy morning, but overall I thought it was a pretty good result.”